What used to be
by TheSelectionr0x
Summary: America and Maxon are married, but can their relationship be torn apart by a letter alone? DISCLAIMER: I OWM NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT, ALL CHARACTER AND SETTINGS CREATED BY THE AMAZING KIERA CASS
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, this is a new story and I will continue it if you guys like it. I have the next three chapters ready, so every time I get five reviews I will post the next chapter! Please check out my other story, Fairy Tales Don't Always End Well, alsl check out the story I'm co-writing with Maggie657, New Romantics. ENJOY!**

"MAXON! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THIS! WHY WOULD YOU CHEAT ON ME, WE'RE MARRIED FOR GOD'S SAKE! IF YOU ALWAYS LOVED KRISS, WHY'D YOU KEEP ME IN THIS CAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

"[DARN IT] AMERICA! WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, I LOVE YOU!"

"YEAH RIGHT!"

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE YELLING, YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH ASPEN FOR MONTHS!"

Me and Maxon were having 'complications'. I had found a letter from Kriss on his nightstand. It looked really recent and I couldn't believe he would just throw me away like a piece of junk! Maxon was furious at me.

"GOD AMERICA, WHY DID YOU MARRY ME IF YOU DON'T TRUST ME?!" He was so mad, but what came next was not what I was expecting. Maxon stepped forward and his hand made contact with my cheek. I couldn't believe Maxon had slapped me. The hit sent me backwards into a corner of the room. Maxon realized what he did and horror settled onto his face.

MAXON POV

I couldn't believe what I had done. I had hurt my sweet America. She huddled in the corner and I ran to her. I reached out to her and she cowered. There was fear in her bright blue eyes. She got up and ran out of the room. I ran after her, but she was too fast, even in her heels. She flew past the guards and out the doors, into the country. I slowed at the door, knowing I would never catch her. I reached out my hand towards her and sunk to my knees. A guard ran up to me and asked if I was okay. I shook my head weakly and waved him away. Tears streamed down my face as I watched her silhouette fade into the skyline.

AMERICA POV

That slap was all it took for me to take off. At first I wasn't sure where. I couldn't go back home, Aspen was married now, and every other place I could think of, Maxon would guess instantly. I decided that the safest place for me to hide would be as an Eight on the outskirts of Angeles, since I probably couldn't walk all the way to another province. I realized that I had taken nothing with me, no clothes or money, I was really going to live like an Eight. My experience as a five would help though, I knew that money didn't grow on trees, and if I was going to survive, I would need to spend money carefully. I reached the outskirts of Angeles and found a long, grassy meadow that I decided I would live in. A small town was not far away, and the town had a grocery store, a bakery, and a tailor. Everything I would need. I started to work on my home, which would not really be a home, just some woven grass mats made into a hut, and a mat for me to sleep on. This was much different from the palace, but it was all I had. I finished my house and walked inside, I probably would have no food for at least a week, probably more. It was much too risky to try and find work when someone could recognize me. I took off my ballgown, I was wearing a plain gray slip dress underneath, this would help me blend in with the local citizens. I put my ball gown in the corner of my hut, a reminder if what used to be.

**Hehe, see why I chose the title? Remember, I will nit post the next chapter until I have five reviews, so start reviewing!**

**Love,**

**Hannah**


	2. Chapter 2

**I got over five reviews, so here you go! By the way, I am working on another new story, called she's mine, that should be published in a few days! *squeals* I'm soooooo excited, enjoy!**

MAXON POV

I was going crazy worrying about America, and she had only been gone a day. I would search for her myself, but I knew I would never find her alone, she could be anywhere in Illeá. Instead, I was waiting for the team of guards who were coming back from New Asia, now that the peace treaty had been signed. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be back for a week, and I was going insane. I wish my mother were here to help me, but both my parents were killed in the last rebel attack before we signed the peace treaty. I had heard what had happened. My mom was shot, and died instantly, and my grief stricken dad begged the rebels to shoot him too, so he could be with his wife in heaven, they obliged, but they didn't hit him in the heart so when we found him, he had a few minutes left to live. His last words completely changed my feelings about him.

"Son," he had said, "I know you will most likely never forgive me for what I have done, but before I die," he coughed, he would pass away in a few seconds, "I want you to be happy, marry America and have children." Tears were in my eyes now, "I'm sorry son, I'm sorry Maxon."

"It's okay sir," I had replied.

"Call me dad," that was it. He died, and finally, had the courage to say he was sorry. I forgave him, I wanted a dad, and now I had one, a real one. I jolted back to reality. I was the only one worrying about America, because I had told the country she was in Italy, visiting Nicoletta. Nicoletta knew about the situation and had agreed to the story. I was just about to go looking for her myself, but I knew I needed the guards.

AMERICA POV

I was losing weight every day, I hadn't eaten in over a week, and after eating in the palace for over a year, I was starving. My dress was ragged and torn, and my hair dirty and messy. I walked into town, praying that the grocer would take pity on me. I walked into the store, and saw the manager, "Sir, do you have any stale bread, anything?"

"If you don't have money, no food," he replied gruffly. I started walking out of the store. "I have this magazine, nobody has bought it, it could take your mind off the food?"

"Oh, thank you sir, thank you." He handed me a magazine, the same one that had articles on us during the Selection. I would read it, then try to sell it for a penny. I walked back to my house, holding the magazine in my hand. I sat down on my grass mat and looked at the cover. It was a recent picture of Kriss, Maxon by her side, with big lettering saying, Is Marriage in her future? So it was true, Maxon didn't love me. Tears streamed down my face. I had no will to live anymore. I picked up the knife that I had found in the trash the other day, thinking I could sell it also. It was time to end this, once and for all.


	3. Chapter 3

**I tried really hard to make this a longer chaoter for you guys, so I really hope you enjoy! By the way, I published a new story, called She's Mine, so be sure to check it out!**

MAXON POV

The guards finally came back, after another weeks delay, and we set out to find America. We were each assigned a province, me included. The guards tried to tell me to stay, but I was done waiting. They told me I would search Angeles. I agreed and set out on my journey. I found a small town on the outskirts, figuring I would work my way in. I knocked on every door, asking if they had seen America. Everyone said no, except one grocer. He told me he had seen a redhead, but didn't know if it actually was America. I asked him where she had gone and he pointed to the right. I walked along the path he showed me. I was in a grassy meadow, convinced I was going the wrong way, until suddenly, a grass hut came into view. Maybe she was living there. I ran down the path towards the hut and pounded on the door, no one answered. I opened the door and peeked inside. My heart skipped a beat. There was America, holding a magazine with a picture of me with Kriss on the front, with a knife in her chest.

I dropped to my knees and picked her up in my arms, she weighed nothing, and I realized she had probably starved out here with no money. I cradled her in my lap and felt around for a pulse. She had none. She wasn't breathing either. I called for the emergency helicopter, and we flew America back to the palace. "HELP!" I cried, "someone tried to kill America!" The doctor took one look at the cuts and scratches along her arms and legs, which I had just noticed, and looked up at me.

"King Maxon, this wasn't murder, this was suicide." She looked down at America again.

"WHAT?!" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Your wife killed herself. We can try the heart shocker, but I think she's been dead for at least a day, it probably won't work." She looked sad, but her feelings were nothing compared to mine. America killed herself because of me. No matter what anyone said, this was my fault, I hit her. They brought in the big, looming machine, and tore America's slip dress open so they could place it over her chest, which still had a bra on. The doctor placed her on the floor so she had space. They had removed the knife, but it was infected, and they would have to do surgery that could kill her again, if she woke up in the first place. They pressed the button on the machine and it buzzed, sending electricity to America's heart. Her arms and legs jerked wildly, and there was a sickening crack as her head hit the floor. I turned away, I couldn't look. "Negative," a doctor called. They tried again and again, but America was still dead. "This is the last time," I prayed America would wake up. "Positive, but barely," the doctor called, after America jerked around some more. "She's only alive because of the electricity, she'll die without it, but it's too dangerous to use it anymore." They put America on the bed and she lay still, I felt over her heart, and it was beating, but only once a minute, as the doctor said. They hooked her up to numerous machines, and tubes stuck out of her on every available piece of skin. They weren't helping though, her heart still wasn't beating fast enough. She was still clinically dead. "We'll leave the machines on overnight King Maxon, but if she's not better by morning, there's no hope." With that they left.

I sobbed into her neck, "America, this is all my fault, I did this to you, I'll never forgive myself." Her heart rate sped up a little, and she opened her eyes. When she saw me, terror took over. She tried to scoot away but couldn't without disconnecting the machines.

"Where's Kriss," she whispered with all her strength.

"She married the governor of Kent." America opened her mouth to talk, but I shushed her and sobbed again, "You committed suicide, you've been dead for two days. This is all my fault!" America was about to respond, but just then the heart monitor started beeping frantically. Her heart rate was fading, as was her life. The doctor came rushing in.

"Get the heart shocker, NOW!" A nurse dressed in light blue scrubs rushed to get the machine. America's eyes had fluttered closed again, her heart had stopped. I prayed that the heart shocker would work.

AMERICA POV

Though I could see nothing but blackness, I could hear what was going on as I died, for the second time. Beep! "Negative." Beep! "Negative again." I suddenly floated towards the ceiling. I looked down and was shocked by what I saw. There was me, dying, on the hospital bed. Maxon was cradling my ghostly pale body in his arms as the doctors dejectedly wheeled the heart shocker out of the room. He sobbed into my chest, the chest of the lifeless me, and I felt guilty. I was causing pain to my loving husband. Just then, my family rushed in.

"We heard the news," says my mother. May's face goes white as she sees my corpse, lying still on Maxon's lap. The rest of my family, except Kota crowds around me. They all cry when they see that the doctor has given up hope. I try desperately to go back to my body, but I can feel my self floating further and further away. "We could try one more thing," the doctor says, but her voice comes out strangled and choked. I realize that I am completely dead right now, with virtually no hope of recovering. I hardly breath, well, the ghost of me hardly breathes as they hook up a big machine, my last chance at survival, and turn it on.

**Hehe, only I know if America survives or not. I hope this scene with dead America's ghost wasn't too cheesy, if it was, I'm sorry, but I needed America's POV for this chapter to play out how I wanted.**

**Keep favoriting, following, and REVIEWING!**

**Hannah**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Sorry I didn't update over the weekend, I literally had NO time. Anyway, here's the chapter, hope you like it!**

MAXON POV

"Bring in the heart shocker!" The doctor yelled. The room was in complete chaos. There were doctors yelling orders and instructions at each other, the heart monitor and numerous other machines hooked up to America were beeping crazily. I tuned all this out and focused on America. I had her cradled on my lap and was crying into her. A dress wet with tears wouldn't matter if she was dead. America's family rushed in to the cramped, white room.

"We heard the news," her mother said in a frantic voice. I wondered if they had heard the real, full story. I could bet they hadn't. May was making little strangled noises whenever she looked at America. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity. The doctor brought in the heart shocker. They hooked up the wires to America's chest as I held her in my arms. They had to rip open the front of her dress, but at that moment I didn't care. I had to be with America. Beep!

"Negative" the doctor said. They tried a few more times, but it always resulted in negative. America was dead. The doctor told us that there was one more thing they could try, and she would go get it, but you could hear in her voice that she had no hope in America getting out of this alive, and was just doing this to comfort us. I could hardly breath, the guilt on me was so heavy. I had killed America.

**Yes, I know this is a short chapter. but you gotta understand I have school and homework and all that stuff to do, I don't have a lot of free time. Especially now that I have just adopted ANOTHER story, called The Fight For The Prince. It's not on my acoount, it's by luv2read4reading IT'S REALLY GOOD! However, she couldn't write anymore, so I am PMing her chapters and she posts them.**

**See you next chapter (I won't really SEE you but you get the point)**

**Hannah**


	5. Chapter 5

**I AM SO SORRY I AM SO SORRY I AM SO SORRY. Just to say it again. I AM SO SORRY. I have not updated in sooooooooo long. Testing, writer's block, blah blah blah. I've faced it all in the past month. Also, just to inform you guys, I will be in California, so I will not be writing or posting anything for at least a week. So starting now, I'm going to have a reader of the month. This person will be posted on all of my stories for a month. A guest can be the reader of the month, just tell me your name, or make up a name for yourself (It doesn't have to be a real name) THE READER OF THE MONTH FOR THE REST OF MARCH, PLUS APRIL IS... (drumroll here) LIV4480 ! YAY! Your PM was so sweet and I love you forever yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayay! Let me get started with the chapter now. :)**

MAXON POV

The doctor came up to me. "King Maxon. If we have any hope at all of Queen America surviving this, there is a vital organ in her body that was damaged. Would you donate yours? You will be able to live without it."

"Of course!" I answer in a heartbeat. For America, I would cross the ocean, I would step into a fire. I would do absolutely anything. The doctor didn't need to tell me I would live without it, I would have donated the organ even if it meant I died. Because my beatiful America would live.

The doctors do a quick procedure to get the organ, then a long, slow one to put it in America. Finally, they are done. The doctor looks a little more hopeful now. She explains to the group that now that America has the organ, we can keep her on life support until it is safe to use the heart shocker again. She tells us that they did an autopsy, which is where they send a little miscroscope/camera into your body, and they saw that one of the cuts she had given herself was very deep and had ruptured the organ. Had they not don the autopsy, America would already be dead. I couldn't even imagine what life would be like without America. The picture in my mind was me sitting all day holding back tears while trying to fully submerge myself in paperwork. I shuddered. America needed to live.

Once they had gotten America on life support, everything seemed to go smoothly. Her heart was beating only once a minute, but the doctors seemed calm and collected. For now at least...

MAY POV

We ran as fast as we could to the palace when we found out about Ames. Didn't even bother getting in the car. I was so confused. I had only heard mom screamingn something about America being hurt before I ran out the door. It's a good thing we had moved into this new house yesterday. It's so close to the palace I can see the towers out my bedroom window. The house itself is a lovely pale yellow, with one outside wall covered in ivy and a little wooden swing. Gerad loves the backyard, where he can play soccer to his little heart's content, but I personally love the art studio. It has green walls covered with clear tarps, and there are whole cabinets filled with blank canvases! Also in the house are:  
A music studio, complete with instruments and high tech recording gear.  
A bedroom for each of us.  
Two guest bedrooms used mostly for when America and Maxon come to visit. And so much other stuff, I can't even name it all.

Anyways, I was running as fast as I possibly could when I tripped over a rock and fell. Blood was pouring out of my knee and I was sure I had broken my ankle, but I kept running. America was much more important to me than soem blood and my ankle. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I reach the palace. The guard saw me running and let me in without question. I ran straight down the hallway to the hospital room. When I saw Ames inside, dead on a table, I felt the blood drain out of my body. This was the scariest sight in my entire life. The doctor, standing there wih a grim face, toldth entire story with his eyes. There was no hope. The doctors did an autopsy just to make sure there was absolutely nothing they could do, and when they were finished, they almost looked pleased with themselves. That's when I snapped. Usually I contain my temper, but this was the last straw.

"What's wrong with you?!" I screamed. "My sister in DEAD, and you're smiling?! Sheh his dead. DEAD, DEAD, DEAD!" I ran out of the room, but then stood quietly outside, I didn't want to miss anything. I heard what the doctor said to Maxon, and my spirits instantly rose. As did my guilt level. I walked back in.

"I'm so sorry. It's just-" I started crying.

"Don't worry." Said the doctor, "You didn't know, it's okay."

America seems to be doing fine, but I'm not so sure. Wait, who are these doctors? They look almost like...REBELS!

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! Hehe, please don't kill me.**

**Love you guys 4ever,**

**Hannah**


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